Creative Pros Forums

A YOUTH FORUM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 15-26yrs
Hear from a panel of professional speakers at this FREE youth event!

SELECT YOUR TICKETS BELOW TO RSVP (ESSENTIAL)

CREATIVE PROS is an arts forum for young people – to assist you to take control of your creative future, find out industry hints and tips, network and get into action! ART + ACTIVISM features a panel of professional speakers in an interactive seminar with networking & discussion time, aimed at providing answers to all of those burning questions you have about ART + ACTIVISM! Find out how these artists, arts-workers, activists & agitators developed meaningful projects & affected the lives of people, animals & communities through the unifying medium of visual arts, crafts & music.

ANTON PULVIRENTI : REFUGEE ART PROJECTAnton Pulvirenti is an accomplished visual artist, activist, curator and most recently a recipient of a doctorate in Philosophy. In addition to working as an artist & showing his own delicate illustrative works across the globe & here in Sydney, Anton has worked since 2011 with the Refugee Art Project as a workshop facilitator & curator. The RAP started these classes out of frustration and anger at government treatment of asylum seekers in detention and with the biased media portrayals of asylum seekers. Art is a perfect tool for refugees themselves to address and express feelings of sadness, loneliness, anger, frustration and loss. While art cannot solve the issues that asylum seekers face, it can play a vital role in mitigating the trauma of detention.www.therefugeeartproject.comwww.dominikmerschgallery.com/artist/anton-pulvirenti/

GAYLE PESCUD : G-LISH FOUNDATIONGayle Pescud (Australia) & Godwin Yidana (Ghana) co-founded the G-lish Foundation in 2010 in Ghana, West Africa. G-lish Foundation develops sustainable income generating projects to reduce poverty in rural communities in Ghana. G-lish aims to bring sustainable development to these communities & generate income via creative projects such as basket weaving, textiles & woven art pieces. Using plastic rubbish and scrap African cloth woven into twine, skilled basket weavers weave the plastic and cloth lengths into baskets, home-wares and art work using traditional weaving methods—thus preserving cultural heritage while helping alleviate poverty and tackling entrenched and overlooked environmental waste problems. G-lish Foundation engages local communities in workshops to learn the art of weaving & also receive tuition in design & sustainability to create high quality and high value products that generate above fair trade levels of income. Hear from Gayle & how they got their amazing project off the ground & are making a positive impact in the lives of Ghanaian communities.http://g-lishfoundation.org

NICK BALDAS : MY HUMAN FAMILY, INTERNTIONAL DAY AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA &TRANSPHOBIA (IDAHOT), INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITYNick Baldas is a Sydney based visual artist who works within the field of art, activism & beyond. Nick has been instrumental in initiating, coordinating, touring and exhibiting major community campaigns and art exhibitions within Sydney, New South Wales and Interstate. He sees his role as introducing and exploring themes that are often uncomfortable. Through his own artwork & his various community projects, Nick gives a voice to thoughts and emotions that are often hidden, in order to create awareness and open new avenues for discussion. “Art does have the power to influence and create change. I will always endeavour to speak truthfully with my art and in doing so create beauty.” Some of Nick’s community art projects include IDAHOT – International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia, which includes an annual inclusive art exhibition as a means of fighting against homophobia. One of his other recent projects is the “My Human Family” community photographic project (run in partnership with Jane Hooper), which aims to raise awareness of the plight of abused, abandoned & neglected animals & encourage the adoption of pets through animal shelters. A very new project for Nick is the ART & MUSIC – Exploring Personal Identity Exhibition. This new exhibition and series of workshops allows children with disability an opportunity to “Find their own voice through art”.http://www.nickbaldas.com.au/

ESTER KARUSO-THURN & LAURA BUTLER : ARTillery (Amnesty International Australia)
ARTillery is a creative initiative of Amnesty International Australia, run by young and young-at-heart volunteer activists. ARTillery challenge local and up-and-coming visual artists, musicians, actors, dancers and spoken word artists to communicate human rights messages through their different art forms. ARTillery is about young people going to an exhibition or a gig with their favourite local artists, while also finding out about issues like poverty, torture, refugees, violence, censorship and indigenous rights. Founded in Perth in 2008, the Sydney contingent of ARTillery was established in 2013. Through creative events, programs, and collaborations, ARTillery aim to shed light on the dark side of humanity, and reveal the power of using art as our artillery to defend human rights. Ester & Laura are volunteer team members of ARTillery Sydney. They are both students of the arts and have been involved with the group since its inception.www.artisourartillery.com